𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟽: 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎

---

The next few days passed in a haze of cautious relief.

Darius and Elara had returned to their apartment, the

battle with Vincent lingering in the background like a

distant thunderstorm. The city had returned to its usual

rhythm, the danger seemingly at bay for now, but the

tension between them remained-a fragile peace built on

the knowledge that the war wasn't truly over.

Elara woke up in the early hours of the morning, the

light just beginning to peek through the curtains. She

blinked, her body still aching from the chase and the

emotional toll of the last few days. For the first time in

what felt like forever, the apartment was quiet. No

looming threat, no imminent danger. Just the sound of

her own breathing and the steady rise and fall of

Darius's chest beside her.

She turned to him, her heart softening as she watched

him sleep. He looked peaceful, the harsh lines of his face

relaxed for once, free from the weight of their troubles.

It was in these rare, quiet moments that Elara saw the

man behind the cold, unyielding exterior. The man who

had risked everything for her, for them.

Darius stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He caught her

watching him and gave her a sleepy, half-smile that

melted her heart.

"Hey," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

"Hey," she whispered back, reaching out to brush a

strand of hair away from his forehead.

For a moment, they simply lay there, the world outside

their door forgotten. The intensity of the last few weeks

had left them both drained, and now, for the first time,

they could just be. No threats, no plans, no fears-just

the two of them, wrapped in the fragile peace of the

morning.

"You're thinking too much," Darius said softly, his eyes

still heavy with sleep but his voice knowing. "What's on

your mind?"

Elara sighed, resting her head on his chest, listening to

the steady beat of his heart. "Everything," she admitted.

"I know we're safe for now, but I can't help thinking

about what's next. Vincent's gone for now, but what if

he comes back? What if..."

Darius silenced her with a gentle kiss on the top of her

head, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "We'll

handle it," he said firmly. "Whatever happens next, we'll